Safety device for infants



P 15, 1964 B. R. STEELY 3,148,914

SAFETY DEVICE FOR INFANTS Filed May 1, 1963 50 A? M 70/ INVENTOR Beffy Rose STee/y Fig.3. BY

United States Patent Office 7 3,148,914 Patented Sept. 15,, 1964 3,148,914 SAFETY DEVICE FOR INFANTS Betty R. Steely, 7813 E. 113th Terrace, Kansas City, Mo. Filed May 1, 1963, Ser. No. 277,288 4 Claims. (Cl. 297-149) This invention relates to safety devices for infants and, more specifically, to a device for use with an infants high chair for the purpose of preventing undesirable movement of the infant during feeding.

A long existing problem in the feeding of infants in high chairs has been the tendency of the infant to move from side-to-side, or to attempt to crawl out of the confines of the high chair. This lateral movement is especially a problem with very young infants which are as yet unable to support themselves. In such cases the young child may even fall out of the high chair, thus subjecting himself to the possibility of injury.

As infants become older and more able to think of ways of removing themselves from the confines of the high chair, the problem of providing a suitable means of preventing this then occurs. Although various means have been heretofore employed to prevent this, such as tying or strapping the child in the chair, these methods have not proven completely satisfactory, both because of the lack of some positive support structure or because such means are objectionable to the child.

It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to provide a safety device for supporting infants in a high chair.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a safety device capable of permitting infants of younger ages than heretofore possible, to be fed from high chairs.

In accordance with the preceding object, it is a further object of this invention to provide structure for supporting the sides of a seated infant to prevent substantial lat eral movement thereof.

It is still another object of this invention to provide such support structure capable of preventing substantial vertical movement of the seated child by effectively obstructing the downward movement of the infants shoulders.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide such a safety device adaptable to a variety of high chairs having backs of varying widths. In this manner the instant invention may be utilized with most conventional high chairs.

In accordance with the preceding object, it is still a further object of this invention to provide a removable, generally C-shaped unit, vertically shiftable on the back of the high chair into a position overlying the arms of the chair and presenting a pair of horizontal surfaces extending toward the seated child and into supporting relationship with the sides of the child.

Other objects will become apparent as the detailed description proceeds.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of an infants high chair showing the instant invention in place thereon;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the invention mounted on the high chair;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, it may be seen that the safety device of the present invention comprises a unit shown in operative position on a high chair 12. The high chair may be of conventional design and, as shown, consists of a back 14, armrests 16 and 18, a tray 20, seat 22, legs 24, and a footrest 26. Tray 20 is carried by armrests 16 and 18 and may be mounted thereon by any.

suitable means. Commonly, such trays are made removable to readily permit the occupant of the chair to be placed therein and removed therefrom.

In FIGS. 2-5 it may be seen that the unit 10 is of generally C-shaped configuration. The unit broadly comprises a crossbar 28 and a pair of retaining elements 30 and 32 integral therewith. The retaining elements 30 and 32 extend laterally inwardly toward one another in order that their elongated, inner edges 34 and 36, respectively, may be in supporting relationship to the sides of the seated child.

Edges 34 and 36 have longitudinally rectilinear stretches 38 and 40, respectively, which are substantially perpendicular to crossbar 28. Edges 34 and 36 have rounded corners 42 and 44, respectively, at the ends there of for the safety and convenience of the seated occupant. Furthermore, it may be noted that edges 34 and 36 have transversely arcuate portions 46 and 48 respectively, to further provide for the comfort of the occupant.

Elements 30 and 32 present flat, horizontal, upper surfaces 50 and 52, respectively. Surfaces 50 and 52 are preferably coplanar with the major plane of tray 20 so that the surfaces may supplement the tray.

Crossbar 28 is composed of a pair of shanks 54 and 56. Both of the shanks are of transversely U-shaped configuration as is evident in FIG. 5. Shank 54 is provided with a reduced portion 58 which is telescoped within the open end of shank 56 to permit the shanks to be longitudinally shifted to accommodate high chair backs of varying widths.

Shank 56 is provided with a plurality of openings 60. The reduced portion 58 of shank 54 is provided with a tapped hole 62. A wing nut 64 integral with a threaded be noted that shank 54 and retaining element 30 are of one-piece construction and J-shaped configuration as are shank 56 and retaining element 32.

A slot 66 is defined between the margin 68 of element 30 and shank 54. Likewise, a slot 70 is defined between margin 72 of element 32 and shank 56. Slots 66 and 70 are in alignment with one another so as to receive back 14 in a manner to be hereinafter described.

In the operation of the device, an appropriate opening 60 is aligned with hole 62, depending on the width of back 14, and the unit is shifted vertically downwardly on back 14 until retaining elements 30 and 32 overlie the corresponding arms 16 and 18. The device thus partially impales back 14 and is carried by arms 16 and 18. The back-receiving slots 66 and 70 are of proper transverse dimensions to prevent any substantial front-to-rear movement of the device. Margins 68 and 72, therefore, are adjacent the front of back 14 when the unit is in operative position.

Most high chairs are of the type wherein tray 20 may be shifted toward and away from back 14 or removed from arms 16 and 18 during entry into and removal of the child from the high chair. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, tray 20 may be positioned in nearly abutting relationship with the device after the child is seated in the chair. In this regard, it may be noted that borders 74 and 76 of elements 30 and 32, respectively, are contoured to match the inner edge 78 of tray 20.

After the device is positioned on the high chair as aforesaid, an occupant-receiving space 80 is formed between the edges 34 and 36 of elements 30 and 32. Being positioned at approximately the level of arms 16 and 18 it may be appreciated that edges 34 and 36 will be in supporting relationship to the sides of the seated child and thus any lateral movement of the child will be prevented. Furthermore, since the shoulders of the child will be anaem a a above the level of the retaining elements and the hips of the child will be below the level thereof, vertical movement of the infant will be prevented by the blocking action of the retaining elements. In this regard it is noteworthy that the tilt or cant of back 14 in conjunction with slots 68 and 70 of proper transverse width, prevents the child from moving the unit vertically upwardly and hence out of its operative position.

The invention is preferably constructed of molded plastic or lightweight metals. Surfaces 50 and 52 may serve to supplement tray 20 as aforesaid, or a cushioning fabric may be placed on the surfaces to comfortably support the elbows of the seated child.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a chair having a back, a pair of arms, and a tray carried by the arms, a safety device comprising a unit partially impaling said back for vertical movement therealong and including a crossbar disposed behind the back and a pair of spaced-apart retaining elements in front of said back and secured to the crossbar, said elements being in overlying engagement with the arms and disposed for receiving an occupant of the chair therebetween, at least a portion of said elements being disposed between the back and the tray in close proximity to the latter.

2. The invention of claim 1, said elements having generally horizontal upper surfaces substantially coplanar with the major plane of the tray.

3. In combination with a chair having a back and a pair of arms, a safety device comprising a unit partially impaling said back for vertical movement therealong and including a crossbar disposed behind the back and a pair of spaced-apart retaining elements in front of said back and secured to the crossbar, said elements being in overlying engagement with the arms and disposed for receiving an occupant of the chair therebetween, said crossbar con prising a pair of longitudinally shiftable shanks and releasable means interconnecting said shanks, whereby the space between the elements may be varied to accommodate chairs of different back widths.

4. The invention of claim 3, said shanks being transversely U-shaped and telescoped one within the other.

I References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,074,615 Folmer Oct. 7, 1913 2,040,315 Kress May 12, 1936 2,684,110 Stone July 20, 1954 2,822,033 Dixon Feb. 4, 1958 2,979,121 Gates Apr. 11, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 317,711 Germany Dec. 29, 1919 w-r-t. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A CHAIR HAVING A BACK, A PAIR OF ARMS, AND A TRAY CARRIED BY THE ARMS, A SAFETY DEVICE COMPRISING A UNIT PARTIALLY IMPALING SAID BACK FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT THEREALONG AND INCLUDING A CROSSBAR DISPOSED BEHIND THE BACK AND A PAIR OF SPACED-APART RETAINING ELEMENTS IN FRONT OF SAID BACK AND SECURED TO THE CROSSBAR, SAID ELEMENTS BEING IN OVERLYING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ARMS AND DISPOSED FOR RECEIVING AN OCCUPANT OF THE CHAIR THEREBETWEEN, AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN THE BACK AND THE TRAY IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE LATTER. 